


Sonder

by starsplash



Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Character Study, Found Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Hyrule's interested in People, Legend is incredibly stubborn, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), how to tag??? tell me what i'm missing lads, there's a lynel and i'm sorry
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-20
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:02:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24829534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starsplash/pseuds/starsplash
Summary: sonder n. the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your ownor, hyrule learns there's more to the eight heroes he travels with
Relationships: Four & Hyrule & Legend & Sky & Time & Twilight & Warriors & Wild & Wind (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Legend (Linked Universe), Hyrule & Twilight (Linked Universe)
Comments: 17
Kudos: 124





	Sonder

**Author's Note:**

> ajdhkg thank you so much to everyone on the lu server, you've really helped me with this! i hope you all enjoy this gahhh  
> 

People, Hyrule decides, are complicated. People are strange and messy and  _ different.  _ It surprises him just how different they all are, how  _ unique _ , and he thinks that maybe all the stories he had been told don’t really give the heroes of old any justice. 

Some of them are new, and he doesn’t recognise them or the worlds they live in. The Hero of Time (Hyrule isn’t sure where exactly Time fits but something just isn’t sitting right with the feeling he gets from the older man) thinks they are from separate timelines. 

Timelines are complicated, too, but Hyrule can’t tell whether people are more complicated or less so. 

It’s… a strange feeling, being around so many people. He isn’t quite used to it yet.

He doesn’t know if he’ll ever really be used to it. 

Firstly, there’s Legend.  _ The  _ Hero of Legend, who’s adventures and feats are known to be, well,  _ legendary  _ when it comes to Hyrule’s own history. This particular Link is his predecessor - this alone is pretty intimidating and he really isn’t sure how to feel about him.

Legend is.. Bold. He’s bold and fiery and full of passion and he’s so much  _ more  _ than the stories made him out to be. He’s strong and capable and Hyrule looks up to him more than he probably should. His words seem sharp but his scowls never really meet his eyes, and Hyrule thinks that maybe the seasoned hero cares for them more than he lets on. 

He sees it after one particular fight - one with a lynel, one of  _ Wild’s  _ lynels, in particular, which they hadn’t seen in time. The lynel isn’t alone, but it is strong. Too strong. 

The fight drags on and Hyrule can see too many of them getting hurt, he can hear too many cries and he wants to hide behind a tree or something,  _ anything,  _ but he doesn’t. He doesn’t because he wants to protect them and to fight with them. But seeing Twilight jump in front of Legend, intercepting a swing of the lynel’s huge, rock-like weapon, and get thrown aside, makes his heart stutter over a beat or two. The noise he makes when he impacts a tree makes Hyrule want to cover his ears and never hear it again. But the noise repeats in his head and he sees red and he  _ doesn’t know what to do. _

Legend lets out a  _ roar _ , and it might be the most… Hyrule doesn’t want to say angry, or upset, because those don’t cover it. But it’s something, and he can hear it, ripping viscerally from Legend’s throat, as the veteran throws himself forward. He takes on the lynel head on, not letting up for a moment, and Hyrule watches, wide-eyed, his lungs burning. His predecessor dominates the fight, aided by Time and Warriors, and it’s all a blur. It isn’t until the fight is over and the ringing in his ears quietens a little that Hyrule realises Twilight still hasn’t moved. 

He  _ runs, _ his feet stumbling across the grass, and the pain in his lungs gets worse because when he finally reaches Twilight, he is lying limply against the tree, his arms limp and useless at his sides and red liquid leaving lines that start at his temple and drip off his jawline. 

“Twi?” He whispers, and he falls back to kneel next to him, hands trembling. He doesn’t know what to do and he can still hear everyone behind him and he  _ wants it to be quiet so he can concentrate.  _

But Legend reaches his side, miraculously, barely even scathed, and falls to his knees in front of the unconscious man. 

“Hey, c’mon, Twi,” he says in a voice that is trying too hard not to falter, not to shake, and Hyrule wants to say something but he can’t. His mouth stays shut and he  _ waits.  _ “Twi, you gotta wake up, dammit. We won.”

“Legend-” Hyrule tries to talk to him, tries to make him listen - Twilight needs help, he needs to be healed, and that’s something Hyrule can  _ do -  _ but he feels himself flinch because it’s clear that Legend can’t hear him, can’t hear anything beyond whatever is replaying in his head. It is so abundantly clear that even though Twilight is alive, Legend is not okay in the slightest and that’s almost worse.

Legend shakes Twilight’s shoulders and Hyrule has to put his arms around Legend’s middle, pulling him back. He digs his forehead against the back of Legend’s shoulder. “Please,” he mumbles, unable to keep the tremor out of his tone. “Please, I need to help him.”

With a heaved-out sigh that sounds resigned, in a way, Legend falls back against him, and a hand clutches Hyrule’s sleeve. “Okay,” is his muted, quiet reply, lacking its usual fire. 

Hyrule can still feel his heartbeat in his ears - furious and restless - but his chest aches with relief and he runs a hand through Legend’s hair absently. “He’s going to be okay,” Hyrule says in what he hopes is a reassuring voice. He isn’t sure. He’s not sure about a lot of things, apparently. 

In the end, the others help him with Twilight, who wakes up (after Hyrule used a fair bit of his magic on him, which makes him so  _ tired _ ) with a headache and bruised ribs - nothing a potion couldn’t fix. Legend lingers at the back of the group stubbornly. He won’t meet their eyes. 

It makes Hyrule worry, just a bit. 

Later that day, as the group walk through the woods - all of them are on guard, all of them have a hand lingering by their weapons - Hyrule sidles up next to Legend, who still isn’t walking close enough to the group to talk to anyone. He keeps his distance, and Hyrule doesn’t fully understand why. 

“You really care about him,” Hyrule finally says, breaking the tense silence that hangs between them, and Legend’s eyes snap to him. The emotion in there is hard to place, but Hyrule wants to know. He wants to know how he can help and what he can say and how to  _ understand.  _

Legend makes a noise that’s similar to a scoff, and it’s half-hearted. His expression is carefully neutral as he speaks. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, kid.”

“I was there,” Hyrule reminds him and he doesn’t know why Legend is skirting around it. Caring for someone isn’t… It’s not wrong. He feels himself frown a little as he watches Legend shift, angling himself away. The way he fiddles absently with the edge of his sleeve doesn’t fit what Hyrule usually sees of him, and then it hits him: Legend is  _ uncomfortable.  _

“Yeah, and?” Legend’s voice is scathing as he snaps back, although his words lack their usual bite. “It didn’t mean anything. Doesn’t mean anything.” He huffs. “Just leave it, kid. It’s none of your concern.”

He feels a pang in his chest but he nods anyway. He knows Legend cares, he  _ knows  _ it deep down, and that’s all that matters. If Legend wants to stay quiet, that’s okay. That’s more than okay, because actions speak louder than words and Legend’s actions practically shout what he means. 

“Okay,” he says simply, and he lets the silence cover them once more.

It’s less tense. Hyrule prefers it this way. 

(That night, Hyrule sees the veteran sat next to Twilight. He laughs at something the taller man says, and Hyrule feels warm. It’s nice to see them like this. Maybe one day he’d feel comfortable enough to sit with them, too.) 


End file.
